This invention relates to a connector assembly for electrically connecting a socket connector and a plug connector.
A conventional socket connector is shown in FIG. 1. An annular recess 2 is formed in the front face of a body 1 made of an insulation material. A plurality of contact insertion holes 3 are formed in a portion of the body 1 inside the annular recess 2. In the contact insertion holes 3, socket contacts are housed although not illustrated in the Figure. Terminals 4, integratedly formed with the socket contacts, are led outwardly from the bottom face of the body 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, each socket contact 5 to be mounted in the hole 3 is formed to extend in back and forth directions, the rear end of an extension 5c of the socket contact 5 being bent and extended downwardly to form a terminal 4. The socket contact 5 is provided with a pair of opposite pinching pieces 5a and 5b, the rear parts of which are integrated with both front edges of the extension 5c. When a plug connector (not illustrated) is coupled with the socket connector of FIG. 1, the plug contacts are inserted into the contact insertion holes 3, and are thereby resiliently engaged with the socket contacts 5, completing electrical connection. The terminal 4 and the socket contact 5 are integrally formed by pressing a metal plate. Therefore, there was a limit in the extent to which they could be machined to make them smaller. With an excessively small structure in use, the resiliency of the contact often became poor, and particularly fragile against the twisting force from the inserted plug contact. Where the connector is used for connecting two printed circuit boards, even a slight deviation between the plug connector and the socket connector often caused deformation of the contracts to such a degree that the contacts could not be used any longer.